


Stupid F!@#ing Drunk-Ass Bet!!!

by KaedeRavensdale



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Awkward Romance, Escort Eren, Federal Marshal Mikasa, Levi has a criminal past, M/M, Minor Jean Kirstein/Eren Yeager, Neither of them really know what they're doing, Politician Levi, Rape/Non-con Elements, This gets kinda dark really fast, drunken bets, hangovers, more tags will be added later when i actually know where i'm going with this, riren - Freeform, sort of Sugar Daddy based relationship at first it's complicated
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-12
Updated: 2015-05-17
Packaged: 2018-03-30 07:22:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3927946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaedeRavensdale/pseuds/KaedeRavensdale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bad enough that he wakes up on the morning of an important banquet with a raging hang over, courtesy of his stupid friends who dragged him out drinking with them the night before. Add in the fact that he lost a bet to Hanji that he can’t even remember making, leading to him being forced to attend said important banquet in the company of a male escort-Eren Yeager-and you’ve got the makings of a somewhat reluctant and definitely odd relationship. The college student by day/hooker by night somehow winds up as his impromptu Sugar Baby, but over time their relationship slowly begins to deepen into something more. And all the while the shadows of Levi’s past are lying in wait to tear them apart. To think he became an escort instead of just a prostitute because it was supposed to be less dangerous…</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I Don't Remember Any Bet. Then Again, I Don't Remember Anything; I Was Drunk as Fuck the Night Before

_I hate mornings._ The birds chirping in the trees and the sounds of the street were far too loud, never mind the sunlight shinning directly onto his face as if intent to gouge his eyes out and the fact that his alarm clock was currently shrieking bloody murder and bouncing up and down on the nightstand beside him. Peeling open his blood shot eyes with a loud groan, Levi rolled over to glare at the hell-borne contraption only to have the blinking red numbers on the screen stare innocently back at him proclaiming the time as 7:30am. _The shitting hell? I never wake up this early._ Slamming his hand down on the sleep button to silence the constant ear splitting noise, he pulled the pillow up over his head and buried his face in the mattress doing his best to get back to sleep despite the pain in his pounding head. The ringing started up again almost immediately, this time originating not from the alarm clock but the cell phone sitting beside it. Snatching it off the wooden table top and viciously stabbing the talk button, he brought it to his ear while gritting his teeth. _“What the ever living fuck do you want!?!”_

“Oh, good morning Shorty!” Oh dear God sweet Jesus, of all the people who had to call him at just passed seven in the morning while he was afflicted by the single worst hangover he’d ever had, it just _had_ to be Hanji “Shitty Glasses” Zoe! The universe hated him. “You don’t sound like you’re in a very good mood today. Not that you ever are, but that was really snappish even for you.”

“Hanji. I have a hangover. I don’t want to talk to you. Spit out what you want and leave me the hell alone.” He grated, grip on the body of the cellphone white knuckled.

“With how much you drank last night I’m honestly not surprised. I just hope that you didn’t forget what you owe me.”

“Owe you? Remind me what the hell you’re talking about!”

“The bet, Shorty. The one you lost.”

Bet? Fuck! “I don’t remember any bet! Then again, I don’t remember anything after that tenth shot; I was drunk as fuck last night.” Bits and pieces were coming back to him the more he spoke to her; a dingy bar that, had he been any more sober than he was, would have rankled him to no end; Erwin buying five rounds of shots but only being able to drink two himself before he started feeling it; Hanji challenging him to a bet of some sort: something involving the wasabi peas they were serving at the bar. “Exactly what did I agree to?” Knowing her, whatever it was it would be bad. _Very_ bad. In fact, Levi honestly didn’t know why he even drank anymore especially considering the last time that someone-Erwin-had lost a drunken bet to Hanji she’d made him dye his eyebrows pink and walk around in a Captain America suit all day at his office. Needless to say his employees were quite amused to see their CEO breaking dress code in such a way. And given that he was a politician, and there was a very important banquet that night, he could practically taste the doom in his feature. Please God don’t let it be the banquet.

“You still remember that banquet you have to go to tonight?” Fuck! It was the banquet! “Well, let’s just say that the gist of the bet was that if you lost then you’d go to the banquet with whatever date I hired for you offline.”

“A prostitute?” Levi repeated slowly after exactly what she’d meant had sunk in. “Considering what you did to Eyebrows when I lost his bet, you had me scared for a minute there. Clearly you were drunker than I was when you came up with this, because a _prostitute_ is tame; as a matter of fact I’m sure that that’s the real reason half of these fucker’s “girlfriends” are there.”

“Levi, I’d ask you not keep calling Eren a prostitute; he’s an escort. There’s a difference and he’ll take offense.”

“Oh, because being an Escort is _so_ much more reputable than being a…wait a minute. Did you just say _he_ Hanji?”

“Yep; he!” She chirped. “Eren’s a sweet heart; I’ve hired him to go out drinking with me when you and Erwin won’t.”

“You fuck him, too?” it came out surly, and he wasn’t in the least bit sorry for that; this was the last thing that he wanted to deal with and yet here he was stuck on the phone with a psychopath.”    

“Levi, once again, he’s not a prostitute.”

“What’s so different?!”

“Eren’s job is to be the shoulder to lean on, the person to talk to, the drinking body, arm candy at a party, the fake boyfriend when you tell your family that you’re in a relationship etc. etc.”

“I better not be paying for this myself, Shitty Glasses.” There was no escape from this and as such attempting to fight her was futile and would only make his headache worse.

“Of course not! I’m paying for it, don’t worry.” She giggled like a schoolgirl for a moment before seeming to lose interest in the topic. “Well, I just wanted to make sure you knew what was going on so you wouldn’t bite the poor boy’s head off when he shows up at your door at six. I have to go and check on the food in the stove to make sure that it doesn’t burn. I’ll let you go.” The click of the other end of the line going dead was probably the sweetest sound he’d heard in quite a while. Putting the phone back down with a great deal more force than was really necessary Levi briefly considered retrieving the loaded handgun from the desk in his study before dismissing the idea as far too messy and far too much effort to have to go through all because of one of his ‘friend’s’ stupid schemes-not to mention that being dead wouldn’t exactly help with getting anything done-he went for the bottle of Advil in his bed side drawer instead and took two. Then two more, just to make sure that the headache definitely went away. Dragging himself out of bed feeling disgusting and covered in sweat, he made a bee line for the shower and gratefully stepped beneath the cold spray of water without bothering to wait for it to warm and cleaned the day prior’s grime from his body before drying himself off with a towel and changing into a t-shirt and loose sweat pants and going into the kitchen to brew a pot of coffee. He needed to re-evaluate who his friends were. Hell, he needed to re-evaluate his entire fucking life. He didn’t even know why he was a politician, how he’d ended up as one or what exactly had gotten it into his head that it was a good idea; he hated people. But despite that fact he was, apparently, good at it as he’d won a number of local elections and was currently on his way up to a state senator. He’d just have to see if tonight’s stunt of showing up with a male accompaniment-never mind that he was hired by his idiotic so called friend over a bet he’d stupidly taken when he was too drunk off his ass to know he couldn’t win-wouldn’t tank all of that in a town as judgmental, if not conservative, as Sina. He honestly hated the city too and all the stuck up rich fucks that lived there and couldn’t quite fathom exactly why it was that he still lived there. Pouring himself a cup of the steaming liquid he went to sit on the couch and drank it black, all of the curtains drawn and the lights off as he waited for his hangover to go away. Hours passed. He drank more coffee. Took more Advil. Eventually watched some TV and then changed into his suit and tie at around 5:40; he’s just managed to get his shoes on when the knock came on his front door. _Let’s get this fucking over with._ Stalking to the door, he all but throttled the knob as he ripped it open to reveal the figure standing on the other side. Considering that it was Hanji who had sent his ‘date’ Levi had feared that the mysterious ‘Eren’ would resemble the Creature from the Black Lagoon or some other horrible science fiction creature from the books and movies she was so addicted to. Thankfully, this was not the case. What he _did_ resemble, however, was a Hellenistic painting of a pagan sun god; tall, lean and dressed to the nines in a grey suit black pale tie and white shirt, his skin was smooth and tanned to perfection, his hair was rumpled in an almost windswept manner and dark brown in color and his eyes, though enormous, were not quite as innocent as they should have been and though they appeared at first glance to be green were threaded through with spindles of warm gold and ocean blue. His face was cherub-like, the handsome features clear but not yet fully defined amidst the thin layer of baby fat which still remained around the area of his cheeks and he could tell just by looking at him that he couldn’t have been more than 19 or 20. Levi had never once for even a moment in his entire life ever considered the possibility that he could in fact be gay. Until now. _Hot damn._

“Good evening; I take it that you’re Levi?” his voice was a warm tenor, his smile blindingly white. “It’s nice to meet you; I’m Eren Yeager and I’ll be your company tonight.”


	2. The Banquet Couldn't Have Gone Worse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> Reinlichkeit - cleanliness

Eren’s POV

When I had learned that it was Hanji who had booked for the night needless to say I was a little bit concerned; she’s fun, don’t get me wrong, but she’s also…different, to say the least, and there comes a point where that’s a little overwhelming. But when she explained the situation to me I found myself somewhat excited by the prospect of being the lynch pin of a well thought out prank on one of her close friends up until the point where she warned me about his temper when I just became concerned all over again. This time for my safety. I still took the job anyway; anything to get away from my ridiculing asshole of a horse faced boyfriend Jean. Straightening my tie one more time before checking my clothing for dust, I quickly ascended the porch stairs and knocked on the door. The door swung open only a moment later and, thankfully, the vicious anti-social gnome from the deepest pits of hell did not appear. Levi Ackerman was a man who was shorter than most at somewhere around 5’3” but handsome in the extreme with a youthful face despite his near 40 years of age and smooth porcelain skin contrasting starkly with his perfectly pressed and laminated suit and short cut raven hair. His expression was kept well in check at a neutral dead pan, striking grey-violet eyes appraising me in a manner that made it feel as if I were being slowly and sensually undressed in front of a room full of highly interested onlookers.  
“Good evening, I take it that you’re Levi?” In hoped he was, desperately so, as I hastily pasted the most natural smile that I could onto my face because this was the first time I’d actually met anyone-most especially a man-who was drop dead gorgeous as a part of my job. “It’s nice to meet you; I’m Eren Yeager and I will be your company tonight.” He didn’t seem to notice my accent-by this point in my life it was barely there baring periods of high stress but that didn’t stop me from being highly self-conscious about it-and so I did the best I could to push thoughts of slipping up on speech out of my mind.  
“Who the hell else did you think I was you shitty brat? I’m sure that fucking Four Eyes described me well enough to you!”  
My first reaction was to take offense at his words, but I forced myself not to frown or ball my fists: Hanji had warned me he’d be none too happy with the arrangement at hand, after all. Not to mention that a bitchy fuck off response that was entirely unwarranted was leagues better than the usual reception I was met with of a hand attempting to snake its way into my pants as if I were some cheap street walker they’d picked up off the corner. I could deal with this; one night wouldn’t be so bad. “I’m…sorry? I was simply trying to introduce myself to you, Levi.”  
“Who gave you permission to address me by my first name!”  
“Hanji did, and it’s the norm for my clients. They prefer a first name basis.”  
“Of course she fucking did! And I’m not one of your clients, shit head! You’d do well to remember that!”  
“Of course, I apologize Mr. Ackerman.”  
“Don’t call me ‘Mr.’ anything, it makes me feel old!”  
This guy was worse than Jean, if such a thing were even possible! “Then…what should I call you?”  
“Levi.”  
“But you just said-!”  
He smirked at me, a look that-in any other situation-would have gone straight to my groin but now all it did was piss me off more. “I know what I said, but now I’ve given your permission to use my first name. You’ll call me Levi, is that clear?”  
The first thing I had had to learn in order to work in the field that I was had been how to control my explosive temper, at least while in the company of my partner for the night. To be the pretty, ideal, perfect angel the like of which didn’t really exist because my real personality was, in their words, ‘unattractive’. But damn it all if I didn’t nearly lose my temper then and there. Forcing the smile back onto my face, I bit my tongue near hard enough to draw blood. “Of course, Levi. I apologize.”  
“What are you, a fucking robot?” the strained smile remained in place as my only response. “Alright, brat. Before we go we need to go over some rules for tonight.”  
“Can I ask that you please do me the courtesy of using my name. It’s Eren.”  
“Brat.” Damn this ridiculously sexy infuriating pretentious bastard dwarf; why is he so attractive on top of being an ass? “I won’t have a drunken bet be the death of my political career, no matter how irksome I may find it. Am I clear?” I nodded, something about his commanding tone warning me that it would not be wise to test him. “You do not touch me. You do not act as if we are a couple. You most certainly do not mention your profession to anyone! And you do not so much as hint at why you are really there. The story that you will use is this one: you’re a college student looking to try and get into the campaigning field once you graduate and I’ve agreed to mentor you. Can you remember that much?” I nodded. “Are you even old enough to legally drink?”  
“21 six months ago; I don’t look that much like a kid!”  
“If that’s what you think you need to replace your mirror.” He grunted, pushing passed me to head down the concrete stairs towards a car parked on the side of the street. “Get in, brat. We’re going to be late.”

Levi’s POV

I couldn’t have come off as more of an asshole if I’d tried; being this off putting this quickly was a new record even for me, and it was likely caused more by my irritation at the sudden intense and irrational thing that was my homosexual attraction to a male hooker just out of his teens than anything that the boy himself had done. Clearly I had upset him-it was evident in the tight set of his raised shoulders, the way he turned away from me in the passenger seat of the front car, and the silence which had fallen heavy and uncomfortable between us-and I felt a minor twist of what might have been guilt twist in my gut but it was too late to do anything about it now; the damage had already been done. The brat, Eren, was quite well behaved when we reached the banquet his expression glazing over into a mask of confidence and contentment as he trailed me like a puppy, entertaining those who came up to use with a bright laugh and an easy smile as he recited the story I’d fed him earlier again and again to perfection. Hours passed-maybe three, maybe four, I lost track of quite how many as the drudgery marched onwards-before the brat finally spoke directly to me, keeping his eyes downcast and away as if he didn’t want to look at me.  
“I’m going to go and get a drink for myself. Would you like me to bring you anything?” he was forming his vowels rather strangely out of the blue, clearly at least somewhat intimidated by my presence after our rough meeting earlier that a slight accent was beginning to show through. German, perhaps? It made sense in connection with his last name, but I was far from an authority on the matter and couldn’t be sure.  
“Do whatever the hell you want brat, I’m not your keeper or your warden.” I told him flatly. “And no, I don’t need anything.” He muttered some reply I didn’t catch and walked off; he didn’t return and was gone for about another hour before I found myself concerned and went looking for him. Fifteen minutes of searching through the throng of people-being short as I was in such a situation is a decided disadvantage-I finally managed to find him standing on the balcony outside. He seemed lost in thought and didn’t notice me, staring down into the cup in his hand with a look of undisguised misery on his handsome face. “Oi, where the hell have you been?” he jumped slightly, turning around to face me with those huge eyes of his blown wide.  
“O-Oh, I…don’t understand why it would matter to you that I wasn’t inside with you.” He spoke so quietly that I almost couldn’t hear him over the clattering of dishware and echolalia of voices from inside. “It is clear that you do not want me here; that my presence is not welcome. I was contemplating…leaving. Walking…somewhere.”  
He’s being paid to deal with me and he still can’t. No wonder I’m still single. “Somewhere? Not home?”  
Eren shrugged his shoulders, broad but thin and almost delicate. “There isn’t much better at home.”  
“Can I ask you something?” I fully intended to do it anyway but I’d already been enough of an asshole to the poor kid who was just doing his job for one night and I wanted to at least come off like I gave a fuck about his feelings even if I really didn’t. He nodded warily after a moment, so I continued “is not having sex with your clients really the difference between an Escort and a Prostitute, or is it just a personal policy.”   
This seemed to be unexpected to the brat, though he didn’t seem offended and went on to answer after thinking for a moment or so. “I suppose it’s really just a personal policy. It’s a job; I do it for the money to help pay for rent and to pay my own tuition and to send some home to my family back in Germany. I do not do it for…that. Besides, I have a boyfriend who I’m saving myself for-he’s not the nicest person, but he’s been there for me since I came to this country and he deserves that much from me at least-and…I’ve never exactly…done that before.”  
“So you’re telling me that you’re 21, a virgin and not a girl?” I snorted as he blushed the color of a boiling teapot. “At least now I know you’re clean.”  
“Reinlichkeit; she did warn me that you…cared for it.” He said quietly, nodding to himself. “How much longer is this banquet going to last, Levi?”  
“A handful of more hours. But I don’t think anyone will give a fuck all if we leave early; I’ll drive you to your apartment brat.”  
Eren shook his head quickly. “Nein, I won’t have you go out of your way for me; it’s clear enough that you don’t care for my presence and I don’t want to be any more of a burden on you that I already am. Besides, my apartment is in Rose City; I’ll take a cab.”  
“Have things your way; safe trip.” As he walked away I couldn’t help but sigh and mentally kick myself. If tonight had proven anything, it was that I’d be dying alone.

Eren’s POV

I was glad to get away from Levi-the shorter older raven haired man was more than just intimidating with his titanic presence and piercing hawk like eyes, not to mention a resting bitch face that could scare off a lion and a razor edged tongue-but going home wasn’t that much better. Pulling out my keys after a handful of minutes lingering on the stoop, I reluctantly unlocked the door and stepped inside. It was dark but that by no means meant that I was safe, and within a few seconds my boyfriend was standing at the end of the entrance hall with a scowl on his face.  
“Where the hell have you been all night?” he demanded in a sharp voice, stalking forward to tower over me with his amber eyes glowing like an animals. “Screwing around with anyone who will open up their wallet for you?”  
“Jean, why do you do this to me every night that I come home? You know that isn’t true!”  
“Oh, it isn’t? I don’t believe shit about that!” The other snapped. “So, tell me Yeager, if I paid you would you have sex with me too?”  
“Jean!” His words hurt, but I pushed all thoughts of their sting away and stepped forwards to reach towards him. “We’re in love, aren’t we? You know that all you have to do is ask-.”  
“Shut up!” He slapped my hand away and I retracted it with a small whimper before I narrowed my eyes sharply at him. “I don’t want any part of used product anyway!” Turning on his heel he stormed back into his room and slammed the door. Why was he always like this? I didn’t understand. Sure he’d been sort of an ass in the beginning to, but he’d also been kind. Never raised his voice. Never snapped at me. But now it seemed that every time he opened his mouth he said something hateful; every time he looked at me it was a glare. I tried not to let it get to me because I knew that I was stronger than that, but it still hurt and I didn’t want to deal with his shit when I didn’t have to but it seemed that the more I avoided him the worse it got. And the worst part was I didn’t understand what I had done to upset him in the first place. Most people would have gotten fed up with it by now and left him, and the truth was I’d tried that once already too. He’d gone running after me and begged me to come back and for a few days things got better, but then they went back to how they had been; the only thing trying to run off had taught me was that in this country I had nowhere else to go. But I was a junior in college now; just over a year left to go before I could get on a plane back to Germany and leave him behind. I was sure that I could hold out until then; what could possibly happen in 18 months?


	3. Care to Tell Me What the Hell You Were Doing Crying on a Park Bench in the Rain, Brat?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the darkest chapter for a while, just a warning.

Levi’s POV

 

          It had been about a month since the banquet and the brat hadn’t contacted me; I hadn’t given him my number nor any indication that I wanted him to do so but given that he knew Hanji had he really been possessed of the desire to he could have easily gotten it from her. I, likewise, hadn’t once thought about the brat since he’d run out on me with the last shreds of his dignity still barely intact but now that I was in Rose City-which, given my past, was a really stupid move and I had no clue why she insisted on meeting here-I couldn’t help but think of the damn brat as I stared at the candle sitting on the table as I sat in the restaurant. It seemed overly fancy for the meeting that we were there for, but she’d booked it-and was paying-so even though my company was late I couldn’t really complain. That is, until she showed up and I caught sight of what she was wearing.

          “You are aware, I hope, that this is a ‘formal’ restaurant? ‘Federal Marshal Uniform’ isn’t immediately what springs to most people’s mind when they hear ‘evening attire’.”

          “Nice to see you again too, Rivaille.” She replied with a sigh, lowering herself into the chair opposite me at the table. “I would have dressed up for you, but I didn’t get the chance to change before I had to meet you; the job kept me longer than I thought because the bastard decided he’d be cute and run.”

          Mikasa. We’ve known each other since we were both 15 back when her old man had been my handler during the time between my bastard Uncle’s arrest and trial. On his death, she’d taken over and for that I was grateful; not only was she one of the few people in the world who I could actually tolerate for any length of time, but she also knew the intimate and sensitive details of my…situation. “Why Rose?”

          “I know that it’s dangerous but you look completely different now from when you were 15, I had a job here, I needed to speak with you about something and check in to make sure that you were still ok and I knew that you wouldn’t be afraid to come back here.”

          “We haven’t spoken in five years. I’m not a criminal anymore, none of those idiots are smart enough to knew where they should even begin to look-as if right under their noses wasn’t blatantly obvious enough-and that bastard is locked up forever in jail.”

          “No, he isn’t. Not anymore. That’s why I needed to speak to you immediately; you could be in danger.”

          “What do you mean ‘not anymore’?” I demanded, frowning. It wasn’t as if he could have gotten parole, not with how far up river he’d been sent.

          “You Uncle escaped from custody last night. We’ve been doing our best to find him, but it’s as if he’s vanished without a trace. We have no idea where he’s gone or what he’s planning to do, but I have a feeling that if he has the chance to get his hands on you it won’t be good.”

          “Explain to me exactly how someone manages to escape from a federal super max prison; aren’t those things supposed to be impenetrable?” I demanded crossly, somehow managing to remain much calmer than I probably should have been given what I’d just been told.

          “I don’t know, I really don’t not that that’s any help to your situation at all.” She peered at me for a moment with appraising onyx eyes before speaking again. “You know that you can always call me, don’t you. If you need me.”

          “To what? Clean up my mess once I’m finished putting a bullet in the brain of whoever the hell it is he decides to send after me?” I snorted without humor, carding a hand through my short cut hair. “I don’t need your help, Federal Marshal. I can handle any and all of the shit that he decides to throw at me on my own.”

          “Most in Witness Protection wouldn’t be so confident in their own ability.”

          I couldn’t help but sneer at that much. “Most people in Witness Protection would have been moved all across the country at least 40 times over by this point and would be cowering in their homes at night not pursuing a banal political career.”

          “But the Angel of Death doesn’t cower from anyone.”

          “Like hell he doesn’t. I’ll run if I have to, but I won’t hide. Not from him.”

          “And what do I do when you turn up shot to death in a ditch?”

          I shrugged. “You figure it out; I’ll be dead, so it’s not like it’s my problem.”

          She rolled her eyes at me but was unable to keep the reluctant smile at bay. “You haven’t changed one bit from the 15 year old boy you were when Dad brought you home to live with us during the trial proceedings.”

          “Neither have you, though you’ve gotten taller.”

          “You haven’t.” I crushed her foot with the heel of my boot underneath the table and she winced. “Still a touchy subject, I see.”

          “Fuck off!” We faded into what most would consider ‘normal’ conversation at that point, our closeness evident to any onlookers most of whom would likely have mistaken us for blood relatives-be it cousins or siblings-while it was really more of an adopted family thing if it really was a family thing at all. We ordered food and discussed the most recent goings on in our lives and, over wine and because the brat was somehow still on my mind, I told her about Eren.

          “That’s a new record, even for you.”

          “I was thinking the same thing.” I muttered over the rim of my glass. “And it wasn’t even anything the brat himself did-though it was obvious that how he presented himself to me was false as fuck-but rather because I couldn’t understand how the shitting hell I could have gone from ‘sex is filthy and disgusting and I have no interest in either men or women’ to ‘I don’t even know you, but I’d tap that’ in however many seconds it takes to open a door.”

          “So do you think you’re gay or something?”

          “Did I say that?” I hissed sharply. “No! Of course not! I’m not into men, I’m just into _him_!”

          “But you’ll never see him again.”

          “He’s an escort.”

          “What?”

          “My friend knows him not me so don’t go getting any stupid ideas in that little head of yours; I lost a bet when I was drunk and…that’s not even important!” I snapped back in exasperation. “Though it needles me to no end to have to ask her for anything if I really wanted to see him again it wouldn’t be too difficult to do so.”

          “From your description of how last time went, I doubt he’ll want to see you again.”

          “He’s a college student and needs to money for tuition; he’ll come even if he doesn’t want to.”

          “And this is a plan that you intend to go through with?”

          I felt my left eye start to twitch. “The hell is with you and putting words into my mouth tonight?”

          “Just make sure that you’re nicer this time around.”

          “I don’t have to deal with this shit.” I stood up quickly and threw my jacket over my shoulders. “Good night, Mikasa.”

          “Rivaille, can you at least promise that you’ll call me once in a while to let me know that you’re ok? Picking up the phone isn’t that difficult.”

          “I’ll call you when I get the chance. Just don’t panic if it takes a while.” I told her gruffly, taking my chance to escape from the restaurant and into the rain.

 

Eren’s POV

 

          I probably should have paid much more attention to the rain that night then I did. It was the height of summer in the sweltering heat of July, but the rain that fell that particular night was colder than ice. It was strange, but I dismissed it as a freakish turn of the weather rather than a cosmic warning of the disaster I was about to walk into; the thing that would become the worst few hours of my life to date. My hands were covered in tacky mostly dried clay by the time that I made it back to the door of the apartment that I shared with my boyfriend from my art classes at Trost University and despite the chill air I was in a good mood; for the first time in a long time I was assured to have a night of peace and quiet now that Jean was off drinking with his friends in some dingy little hole in the wall. My night’s plans consisted of a nice long shower and a good night’s sleep, but that all came crashing down the minute that I stepped inside and smelled the cheap liquor in the air. Anyone else would have had the good sense to turn around and leave right then and there, but it had already been proven long ago that ‘good sense’ and I weren’t well acquainted and even if we had been I would never have backed down; not to him. Even when I should have. _I’ll be quiet_ I told myself _and they won’t even notice me go by. I’ll go straight to my room, lock the door and sleep until they leave._ A drunken Jean was never fun, and with his friends around he was even worse. All of the lights in the sitting room were off, the air filled with the haze of stale smelling smoke from the smoldering orange-gold tips of the lit cigarettes in their hands as the storm outside shook the window panes like a rabid animal trying to get in. In the dimness I could only make out the shapes of bottles-both empty and full-littering the coffee table and the outlines of the faces of his friends some of whom-like Reiner-I recognized immediately and some I couldn’t place. My door wasn’t far now; a few more steps and I’d be out of the sitting room and safely locked away in my bedroom.

          “The whore is back.” The minute that I heard how slurred his words were I knew that he wasn’t just drunk, he was plastered. For how many hours had he already been drinking? Four? Six? Had he even bothered going to that day’s classes at all? If it were possible to go back in time and do it over again I’d have just kept walking and gone into my room like I’d planned. Instead, I answered to the hot needles of offense and stopped short in the middle of the sitting room. Outnumbered and without an ally to be found amidst a pack of starving wolves, not even knowing how vulnerable I’d made myself.

          “How many times do we have to have this conversation?” I grated out, true to form failing to notice the ominous tension in the rain slipping passed the window. “I’m not a whore, all I do is pretend to be in a relationship with someone I don’t even know for a handful of hours in order to bring in the money that I need to pay my half of the rent and my tuition! What part of that don’t you understand, Horseface?” Look at me, trying to reason with someone who was past the point of no return and probably wouldn’t remember any of this come morning. I don’t know what I expected out of them, but having a $50 chucked at my face wasn’t it.

          “That enough to cover it?” a drink roughened voice demanded from my right; I turned my head to glare at Reiner only to be blinded by another fist full of $20s. “If not, that should be. Now, let’s put that pretty little mouth to better use.”

          I felt my eyes widen momentarily before narrowing to slits. “Screw you all!” But as I turned to walk away an enormous hand caught my wrist and dragged be backwards.

          “My money not good enough for you, bitch?”

          “Faß mich nicht an!” I was too freaked to notice or even care that I’d snapped at him in my native tongue, but my attempts to escape only seemed to rile them all up more. A few of the others got up out of their seats and circled around behind me. “ _Let go!”_ I ripped myself free, not caring for the moment about the pain that it caused.

          “Let go!” He mocked in a high pitched voice, showing a jackal grin as the circle closed in tighter. My eyes flickered to Jean in the futile hope that he’d come to my aid but he seemed to be enjoying the look of terror on my face, reveling in the emotional torment I was being put through as much as the rest. Hoping to somehow defend myself and get out of the situation I threw a punch at him, which was a mistake because it was like hitting a brick wall; it felt as if my hand shattered apart on impact and it didn’t even seem to faze him at all. “What’s the matter, Roxanne? Don’t tell me that that’s really the best you can do.” His hand closed around my collar, almost lifting me clear off the ground; I struggled but to no avail against the iron grasp. “Let me show you the proper way to throw a punch!” My shout was silenced by a powerful blow landing on my face, a yelp of pain joining the sound of ripping fabric as the T-shirt I’d been wearing tore down the seam and I fell hard to the floor. My lip was swelling and I could taste blood on my tongue; I wanted to scream at them in fury for being treated like this but all that came out was a small squeak as hands pinned my roughly to the floor. A boot came down on top of me from above and to the side, making my ribs creak and break as the taste of blood in my mouth intensified. My eyes were squinted against the pain and watering badly but through the haze I could see that though it was the blonde that was holding me down the one who was leading the assault, kicking me, was Jean.

          “You want to take the front, Reiner?”

          The blonde laughed. “It’s what I paid him for.”

          “Good; I’ll take the back. Keep him down.”

          No. No! This wasn’t happening! It couldn’t be; my mind wouldn’t accept it as reality even as my pants were ripped down around my ankles, my struggles and cries rewarded with more blows from the remaining audience.

          “Bite me, and I’ll beat your face in!” Reiner snarled, resting his knees against my neck and pushing down with just enough force to make it clear that he was deadly serious and forcing compliance; tears pricked at my watering eyes as he gagged me both with the knee on my throat and the thing he’d forced into my mouth, drool trickling from one corner of my lips as I struggled to breathe. When Jean took my from behind with no warning or preparation my scream was muffled into a sharp sounding agonized moan. “You like this, don’t you. Fucking slut!” Like it? Couldn’t he see my skin was torn and bleeding? Couldn’t he see the tears running freely down my face or the pain in my eyes? How could I have trusted him? Told myself I loved him? Gotten into such a situation in the first place? How could I possibly be so weak?

          “He knows all of us, Jean. Are we really going to let him leave after this?” I heard one of the other’s ask, my heart plummeting like a stone in the dark waters of a pound. Was this really how I was going to die?

          “That’s true; we can’t run the risk of him squealing.” Reiner said. “I’ll take care of it.” It looked like it was. Hands replaced the knee on my throat, fingers squeezing harder and harder until black spots appeared in my vision and my air was choked off completely. I couldn’t help but wonder how it would end up being that my body would be found, and what state it would be in. Who would have to tell my parents back in Berlin what had happened to their son; their only child? That he’d been raped and murdered not by a member of the Titans but by his own boyfriend. I was glad when the darkness overcame me because it spared me from those thoughts. I hadn’t expected to wake up, but when I did it was a few hours later and I was lying on my back on the floor spread eagled with my pants around my ankles and in serious pain, surrounded by my attackers who were now all passed out drunk. It hurt to breathe, let alone stand, but I knew that if I was to stand any chance of survival I had to do it and get the hell out of there before any of them woke up and sobered enough to remember the knives in the kitchen. Quieting my cries and replacing the remnants of my clothing as best I could, I hobbled out of the door and onto the street and ran. Ran without thinking of where I was going because I just had to get away. _Far_ away! A mix of hot tears and cold rain coursed down my cheeks as my beaten sneakers pounded the pavement beneath my feet. It was late. It was wet. It was cold. It didn’t seem as if any place was open and what good would it have done me even if they were? I couldn’t report anything. He was my boyfriend. No one would believe me.

          _Well, you were asking for it._ The voice in my head sounded suspiciously like Jean and made me cringe and run faster in an effort to escape my demons. _I mean, come on, look at what you do for a ‘profession’! True or not that you never fucked a client, of COURSE he didn’t believe you!_ I ended up in the city park sitting on a bench, curled against the rain trying not to cry despite how desperately I wanted to and in a horrid amount of pain, soaked through and cold with nowhere to go and no one to turn to and feeling so dirty and utterly violated. Why had I ever come to this country to begin with? Why couldn’t I have just stayed in Germany, where it was safe. Where I had friends and family. I was alone in America. Alone and unloved. Something warm and soft and, given the downpour, surprisingly dry was thrown over my shoulders. Startling slightly but reacting without thought, I immediately curled into the soft fabric in search of comfort; a jacket, I realized, that smelled strongly of mint and tea. A familiar scent. Comforting. Just like his dark presence was despite how intimidating I still found it. I didn’t know what he could possibly be doing there, but there he was holding an umbrella with one hand and now missing his jacket, grey eyes both concerned and silently demanding an answer. “I thought it was you, Yeager.” Levi said just loudly enough to be heard over the pounding of the rain. “Care to tell me what the hell you were doing crying on a park bench in the middle of the night, brat?”

 

Levi’s POV

 

          That question seemed to completely break the dam, as the kid proceeded to emit an ear shattering wail and threw himself into my arms with near enough force to knock me clear off my feet and into a puddle. It was obvious that he was badly injured and in a great deal of pain, both from the numerous cuts and bruises covering every inch of his exposed skin and the small gasping wheezes of the labored breath that accompanied his heavy sobs and warned of broken ribs or worse. Blood, tears and some other liquid the origin of which I shuddered to imagine had formed a dried crust of filth over his face which was currently buried in the crook of my neck as he desperately sought out none hostile human contact, but given the situation I forced myself to ignore his germ ridden state instead of immediately dropping him to the rain soaked pavement. “Were you attacked, brat?” His clothing was torn to shreds, the pants unzipped and only clumsily buttoned. He didn’t seem capable of doing more than hacking on air in answer, and it was apparent that he had no intentions of letting go of me any time soon. “Come on, then. I’ll take you to the nearest hospital.” At this point the kid did let go, reeling backwards with a loud cry-no words, at least as far as I could tell, but the fear was evident-and fell over into a large pool of mud.

          “Nein! N-Nein! No doctor! No hospital!” This was just great; dealing with people was bad enough, but dealing with them while they were out of their minds with terror? Forget about it.

          “Alright, fine. If you don’t want to go to the hospital I’m not going to drag you there but you’re hurt and you _need_ to get some help,” not to mention that the longer I stayed in this city the more the potential to have a bullet put in my back increased; I’d already pushed it enough by sticking around for the few hours that I had after the conclusion of my meeting with Mikasa. “I’ll take you back with me to Sina and call Sh-…I mean Hanji. She’s not a ‘doctor’ but I know for a fact that she has a degree in medicine. And it’s better than nothing, isn’t it?” a moment passed before he nodded mutely. “The car isn’t far from here, follow me.” He trailed after me like a soaked through shadow out of the park and down the couple city blocks towards where I’d parked the car. Eren curled up in the passenger seat the moment that the door was unlocked, wrapping himself in the soft fabric of the faded jacket as if in an effort to bury himself alive and hide from the world. I turned the heat on to full blast in an effort to warm him up and dry him off and pulled out my cellphone, hitting the speed dial button with her name attached to it as we pulled out onto the street; thankfully she picked up the line on the second ring. “Hanji, I need you drop whatever the hell it is that you’re doing and come over to my house _now_.”

 

 


	4. Perhaps We Got Off on the Wrong Foot the First Time

 

Levi’s POV

 

          Thankfully she was waiting on the front porch when we pulled up, watching with a deadly serious concern which was not at all typical of her character as I walked around to the passenger side to open the door and coax the stiff teen out of the car.  He walked ahead of me up the stairs, knees locked and clearly hurting, eyes glazed over and fixed forwards.

          “Eren?” she blinked at me in surprise through the thick lenses of her smudged glasses. “What’s he doing here? What happened?”

          “I don’t know,” I told her honestly. “I was in Rose to meet with an…old friend for dinner. I found him in the park sitting on a bench and fighting the urge to cry. I asked him what the hell happened but he was too traumatized to answer, but I think he’s been attacked.”

          She shot a sideways glance at the teen who was standing in front of the front door staring at it as if doing so for long enough would open it with his eyes alone. “I think you’re right. I’ll try and talk to him as well and-.”

          “You’ll need to treat him too.”

          “What?”

          “He’s hurt. Bad. But the stubborn little shit won’t let me take him to the hospital!” I snapped at her, pulling out the keys and nudging the brat aside slightly in order to unlock and open the door. He stood there for a moment longer as if the darkness of the unlit apartment beyond were a solid wall baring his entry before slowly stepping over the threshold into my house. I bit down on the urge to snap at him for not removing his muddy shoes before doing so and followed after, shuffling off my own shoes and shooting my other company a nonverbal warning to do the same. Once sure that she had done so I went about turning on light switches before making my way into my spotless kitchen and brewing a pot of tea. Setting up a tray and pouring a cup once it was ready I took the whole thing into the sitting room. Eren had sat down on my leather couch and pulled his knees up to his chest and, though a frown pulled down at my lips at the thought of the dripping clothes he was still wearing at least the brat had finally taken his shoes off. He took the cup that I offered to him with an almost unintelligible word of thanks but made no move to drink it; ignoring this, I went to sit down but Hanji moved to stop me.

          “Listen, I need to speak to and examine him and I think it’d be better if I did that while you’re not in the room. It won’t take long, I just-.”

          “Don’t bother explaining things to me, I get it.” My grey eyes shifted over to the brat whose gaze had now become riveted on the tea in his cup. “Poor brat has been through hell; do what you can for him.”

          “I’ll try.”

          “That’s all that I can ask.” Leaving the chair that I had only just begun to occupy I left the sitting room to retrieve my cleaning supplies; best to get started on those stubborn mud stains before they had a chance to set.

 

Eren’s POV

 

          The tea in the cup was translucent green gold in color; it smelled like roasted tea leaves and heady spices and matched the scent that clung to the jacket I was still wearing exactly. The liquid was hot, steam rising in a thin curtain to caress my cheeks as it warmed the fine china in my hands to chase the chill from my fingers. I hadn’t noticed it when Levi left the room but suddenly I was alone with Hanji, sitting in the chair across from me and observing my every movement as if I were an insect pinned beneath a microscope. I suddenly became hyper aware of myself and withdrew further, falling back on the jacket I’d been wrapped in as if Levi’s scent alone would be enough to protect me. Normally I didn’t have a single problem with people and gave little thought to their words or actions no matter her cutting, but I’d been through so much by that point and had all but shut down completely. I still didn’t really understand what had happened to me; the attack was only a blurry memory peppered by more holes than a wheel of swiss cheese but what confused me most about the night was the reaction of the raven when he had found me. Our first meeting had been everything but pleasant and yet now he was acting so different. That first night he’d given me nothing but a disdainful cold shoulder but tonight he’d sacrificed his jacket for me and taken me to get help. To say that I was thrown off was an understatement, especially given the state that I was in. I was aching all over; it hurt to sit but it hurt more to stand, hell even breathing hurt. I shifted uncomfortably and fidgeted with the zipper.

          “Eren,” my eyes shot upwards at the sound of her voice, the tone as gentle and careful as if she were speaking to a wounded animal. “Eren, I need you to tell me exactly what happened to you tonight. And I need to take a look at you. Will you let me?”

          I shifted again and wetted my lips, gripping the warm glass tighter as I considered this for a moment and then slowly nodded. “Alright. You can treat me, but I don’t want to answer any questions.”

          “I won’t ask you anything unrelated to your medical issues, is that alright?” I nodded again. “Would you mind taking your shirt off?” I did as I was told, allowing the remnants of fabric to fall to the ground at my feet. Cold fingers probed gently at the sides of my chest and I hissed through my teeth. “You’ve got broken ribs; at least three on either side. Your collar bone may be broken as well and you’re covered in bruises.” Her eyes flashed from the finger print bruises on my wrist to the ones on my neck. “Do you have any trouble swallowing? Does your throat hurt at all?” I shook my head. “Alright, can you take your pants off for me? I promise that I won’t touch you, but you seem to be having trouble walking so I have to look.” It was with a great deal more reluctance that I complied this time, hands shaking as they found their way to the waistband and pulled them down to reveal the bruises and dried blood and fluids that had dripped down my inner thighs. That must have happened at some point while I was unconscious. The look on her face told me all that I needed to know about the nightmarish state that I was in. “Have you reported this to the Police?” I shook my head fervently. “Eren, you’ve been raped!”

          “It wasn’t rape!” I snapped back, temper flaring all at once as my emotions-made all the more volatile by the stress I was under-swung back towards anger. “He’s my boyfriend! And I thought you told me you wouldn’t ask any questions about what happened to me!”

          If she was surprised by the outburst it didn’t show. “I’m afraid that, as I’m not a practicing physician, I can’t prescribe you anything for the pain; for that you’ll need to go to a doctor and I strongly advise that you do. At the very least to make sure your bones are set properly. I’ll tell Levi to make sure that you set up an appointment somewhere soon.” I didn’t respond, preferring instead to curl back up into a ball and shut her out until she gave up trying to talk to me and walked away. I almost wish that they’d succeeded in killing me, because at least then I wouldn’t be left to deal with picking up the pieces.

 

Levi’s POV

 

          I’d just finished cleaning the carpeted front room, my biggest concern, when she finally emerged from the sitting room with the results of he examination.

          “We need to talk.”

          “About what?” I deadpanned, dropping the wrung out wash rag back into the bucket of soapy water at my side. “News about the brat?”

          “He was raped, Levi!”

          “I figured as much,” I growled darkly. “By who?”

          “He told me that it was his boyfriend. You should take him to see the police come morning.”

          “Zoe, he flipped his holy living shit over the possibility of being taken to the hospital how the hell do you think he’ll react if I suggest cops?”

          “He needs to report it!”

          “No shit, Sherlock!” I drawled. “I’ll talk to him about it, but if he doesn’t want to take the leap I sure as hell am not about to push him off the cliff!”

          “At the very least try and convince him to see a doctor who can prescribe him pain medication. I know that multiple bones are definitely broken but I can’t tell if there’s any internal bleeding not to mention that Advil won’t cut it for long.”

          “I can imagine, considering how shitty it is even for minor headaches.” I replied. “I’ll handle it from here.”

          “You will?” how shocked she sounded had me immediately annoyed.

          “Yes, I will. On my own; I may not be stupidly emotional the way that you are but that doesn’t mean I’m incompetent!” I snapped at her. “Now, if you don’t mind, get the hell out of my house Shitty Glasses!”

          “Alright, I’ll leave you to it then. But just remember that, if you ever need anything, both Erwin and I are a phone call away.”

          “Good _night_ Hanji!” I all but slammed the door in her face, still able to hear her chattering from the other side. Turning my back on the door with a final sound of exasperation I made my way back into the sitting room to finally face down the brat and try and get some real answers.

 

Eren’s POV

 

          The only warning that I had of impending company was the soft sound of footsteps approaching from outside before Levi reappeared in the doorway, staring at me with something unreadable but definitely not pleasant in his pale violet eyes and his arms crossed over his chest. His clothes were still damp from a combination of the rain and my panicked break down in the park and the expression on his face was back to stoical unmoving stone. I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, my still untouched tea now sitting on the table top.

          “You’re an idiot, I hope you know that!” Are you kidding me? After all I’d been through tonight I think I deserved at least a little bit of sympathy but _no_! This bastard couldn’t even bring himself to attempt to relate to my condition. “Some ‘boyfriend’ you have that he’d do this to you.”

          I flinched slightly. “Fuck you!”

          “Do you really think that’s love, Yeager?”

          Raising my head I shot him the harshest glare that I could muster. “Don’t talk to me like you know a damn thing about what I’ve been through! You don’t! How could you!”

          Most people would have had the decency to at the very least back down at that point if not apologize but it only seemed to piss Levi off. “You’re a real shitty brat, aren’t you?” He growled, eyes darkening a few shades and expression noticeably hardening. “Don’t know a thing about your situation? I beg to differ! I know more about your situation than you do!” The buttons on his white oxford shirt popped off in his haste to undo them, fluttering to the ground to bare his chest and toned arms. Smooth pale skin marred by a road map of countless nightmarish scars ranging from silvery flat circular ones the size of a dime to long raised and puckered pink tinged furrows carved into his flesh by what might have been a knife. “Let me tell you something, Yeager, what he’s been doing to you _isn’t_ love! And you certainly don’t deserve this kind of treatment. It starts with the derogatory words, and then they use their fists and then they use weapons. Guns and knives. And once they start they don’t fucking stop; I’m not going to see you end up dead in some hole somewhere. You’re too damn young!”

          “…This is the first time he’s ever done this.” I tried to justify.

          “But it won’t be the last; they’ve tried to kill you once already. Do you really expect that you’ll be lucky enough to escape with your life a second time?”

          “He was drunk.” It came out as a whimper.

          “And if you hit and kill someone in a car when you’re drunk they still call it murder, brat.” His logic was cold, etched in stone. In a way it reminded me of my best friend Armin and though it wasn’t the traditional comfort one would expect or prefer in my situation it had a strangely calming effect. “I take it from the fact that you were in the park when I found you that you don’t have anywhere else to go?” a moment passed before I nodded reluctantly. “You’ll stay with me until we can get you a new apartment.”

          Stay with him? For an unknown amount of time? Hold the fucking phone! “No, I couldn’t intrude on your hospitality!”

          “You’re not.” He deadpanned.

          “I couldn’t, really! E-Even with how well my job pays I couldn’t possibly pay the rent on my own; not in Sina!”

          “Rose is too easy for that bastard to find you; I’ll cover it.”

          “No!”

          “Yes. And I think it’d be a good idea for you to start looking for a different job as well, brat. To be honest with you, I’m surprised that an attack like this hasn’t happened sooner though I suppose that it’s easier to fight them off one on one.” I had to concede that he had a point about the escorting, but I couldn’t just quit! On top of rent there was tuition!

          “And there are ways in which you can repay me other than money.” Levi continued, seemingly oblivious to my internal flailing. “I work out of my home most of the time when my presence isn’t demanded on some worthless function of mind numbing campaign. I’ll cover rent and tuition with the understanding that you’ll pay me back once you’re on your own two feet post-graduation, and on top of that will be giving you weekly paychecks to afford needs-like food-as well as some wants. In return you’ll work for me; for the most part the most strenuous thing you’ll be doing is answering a phone.” Wait a minute, was he asking me to become his secretary? “You don’t have to answer me now; think about it for a day or two.” Levi draped his shirt back over his shoulders, turning his back to me only once it was concealed as if there were something there he didn’t want me to see. “Go and take a shower; I’ll try and find something that you can sleep in.” He lead me up the stairs and gestured to the door that I assumed to be the bathroom before vanishing from sight into one of the various other rooms. The bathroom was good sized and almost unfathomably clean, the white tile shinning blindingly bright out at me from all directions. The stall was surrounded of frosted glass the nozzle free of dust and the handles fairly more complicated than the generic ‘turn this way for hot water and this way for cold water’ that I was used to and there wasn’t any towel in sight. A business like wrapping of knuckles sounded on the door before it was opened to reveal Levi who passed me a folded cotton shirt and sweat pants along with a towel before turning on the exhaust fan and leaving me to my privacy. Still only able to hobble painfully about, I made my way closer to the shower and stepped inside. After a few minutes of tinkering around I managed to figure out how to properly work the towel myself dry 20 minutes later I was walking with a bit more ease than before. The cotton bed clothes he left for me were old, evidenced by the softness the fabric held which was unique to clothing that had been washed many hundreds of times over; they were a bit short but much better than my ripped and rain soaked clothing so I couldn’t complain. Leaving the bathroom behind I made my way back down the stairs under the impression that I would be sleeping on the couch. I found Levi curled up like a cat on the leather cushion with a fresh cup of tea on the table and a pile of paperwork in his lap. He’d changed out of his wet clothes and into a wine colored silk robe and was now wearing a pair of narrow reading glasses which I couldn’t help but think looked amazing on him. It was clear that he had no intention of moving anytime soon, so I just stood in the doorway confused until he looked up and noticed me.

          “Need something, brat?” he asked.

          “It’s just…I thought…aren’t I sleeping on the couch?”

          “Shitty brat, don’t be stupid. I have so much work most nights that I end up sleeping down here anyway; just take the bed, it’ll be easier on you with how injured you are.” He replied, quickly tacking down a precise signature. “There’s also some Nyquil in the medicine cabinet if you want to knock yourself out.”

          “Oh, I…are you sure?”

          He raised a thin black eyebrow at me. “Do you piss yourself when you sleep or something?”

          “Of course not, I’m 21 not 2!”

          “Then there isn’t any issue, go to bed.” The dismissal was clear, and tired and battered as I was I complied. My feet dragged up the stairs with a heaviness as if they were encased in cement and I just made it over to the bed before collapsing. The mattress was very firm, the sheets warm and soft as I buried my face in the pillow that he slept on almost every night my face lighting up pink as I was enveloped in his heady scent of mint and tea and amber. Dark and intense, just like he was, and for some reason it was calming beyond all explanation to my frayed nerves and throbbing body. As my eyes fluttered closed and sleep over came me I found myself feeling safer than I had in a very long time.


End file.
